Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-01-28

deity, snow / am sure I hear wheels. I
will see you off. Don't remain out
after dark, dear. -<5
Her mother laughed, as they went to-
gether out to where MIR. Lee was already
waiting for his wife at the door, and the
farm servant, Jim, was leading around
the staid chestnut horse harnessed to a
light buggy. Matte kissed her moth
er, then her father, and watched them
drive off. Somehow she felt strangely
lonely and depressed. She did not no.
tice the farm hand until he spoke to
her.
"You look as if all wasn't right,
Miss Matte. Is there anything I can
do for you before I 60 back to the
field?'
She started little, and unconscious
" shrank from him.
"No, nothing,' she answered.
Nothing is wrong, but [ am a little
lonely
Then she went in, and the blue, long,
dashed eyes of the man followed her I'M
til she had disappeared, then he dropped
his head and went, in his usual shuff1ing
way, on to the field, and Matte saw
no more of him until he came in at six
o'clock, hurrying to escape the sudden
den wild storm which had gathered
and burst in an hour. Matte stood at
the kitchen window, looking out at the
heavy drops, listening to the sharp
peals of thunder, frequently shrouded
in the lurid flashes that lighted the
darkening world. briefly and blindingly
the stolid ''help'' was preparing supper
but glancing occasionally toward the
window at which Matte stood.
They'll not come home tonight, -
she said at length; 'nobody would let
them out in such storm as this, Miss
Matte.
They must have started before it
broke,' Matte answered, shrinking
vaguely from the thought of being
alone in that great house on stormy
night, with these two; then sharp
peal of thunder crashed from the sky
above, so sudden as to make her give
cry of startled terror; and as the light
ming followed it, bright, binding, fam
tastical, she found a strong hand on
her arm, drawing her back from the
window.
"You are in dagger there?' The
voice was strange to her, rich, clear.
commanding, and with a ring of edu-
cation in it. Shelookedup suddenly, and
met those blue peculiar eyes. her own
dilating as she did so, for in them she
read Notwithstanding strange,
and pitiful, weird it seemed to her.
A moment later he had turned away,
the figure that had been straight as a
sapling dropping once more, the hand
that lad lain sternly on her arm now
I falling listlessly at the side of Jim, the
farm hand; but Mattie's heart was
throbbing wildly, fearfully, as might
the heart of a newly Gagged linnet.
The storm continued, fierce as one Of
those that sweep the Southern flowers
but not SO brief, for when Matte went
with the "help'' to bar the doors and
fasten windows securely it was still
raging, and they knew that Mr.. Lee
and his wife would remain with the lat.
ter's sister for the night.
IF we're afraid, Miss Matte. III sit
up with you," the servant said when
bedtime had come, but she said it with
4 yawn, and Matte thanked her and de,
clined.
II am OF afraid,'' she said
and then again meeting
those strange blue eyes, which
fell as she met them, a tremor went
over her. Was it of fear?
She went to her room and tried to
read. but the thunders, the binding
glares of light, the wild rush of the
winds, drew her thoughts constantly
from her book. At last, feeling lonely
and depressed, and unaccountably
alarmed, she left her seat and began
walking up and down the room, Sob
bling like petted child she was.
1t was eleven when she had at length
prepared for bed, extinguished the
light, and after brief prayer, in which
she commended her spirit and all she
loved to Gods care, she lay down, and
while the thunders rumbled off in the
distance and the winds lost their fierce,
hungry howl, she went off to sleep.
Her dreams We're not pleasant and
from one she started up, cold and
shivering and listening for sound.
| Was all a dream? Hark! light foot
fall under her window, a stately tread
unwilling to be heard! All at once
strong and fearless. although
growing very pale, she noiselessly left
her couch and, going to the window,
opened it without a sound. The storm
had cleared away, the night was calm
and starlit now; a faint wind just now
stirred the wet leaves of the maple-tree
without and she saw, orfancied she saw,
two stealthy moving figures, trying to
| open the door; a moment and a NUT
tered blasphemy reached her; then she
drew in her head, and stood with beat
ing, bounding heart, in her room.
What would or should she do?
Jim! She flung ON loose wrapper
over her nightdress and fairly flew up
to the little attic chamber occupied by
the farm hand With tremhiinr f;uoors